Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-10-20


swell, by gracious! this beats all the
rides ever took!' said Joe, as ten
minutes later, with Tad at his side, he
drove slowly toward Bixport, while the
detective followed close behind, with
his captive.
''Me, too!' returned Tad, who was
holding the recovered sachel very
tightly.
won't folks eyes stick out, though,
when they come to hear all about it.
Tomorrow and Tad replied that he
rather guessed so, and then, opening
his heart, he told his companion the
whole story, from beginning to end, at
which recital, as the stories say, Joe's
establishment can better be imagined
than described.
BiXport was in a wild state of fer
ment when they arrived. The story of
the robbery, with some marvellous en-
bellishments had spread like wildfire.
A real criminal and an actual de-
tective in their midst! No one, after
this, would ever dare to call Bixport
ga little, sleepy, one-horse town." such
having been the reproach once cast
upon it by a resident of Middleboro.
Leaving Joe explaining to the Won
dering crowd that had assembled be-
fore Potter's, their joint share in the
exciting incidents of the evening, Tad,
hugging the sachel under one arm,
while across the other was thrown the
circular cloak. hurried, with joyous
steps, back to Miss Smiths.
Bursting impetuously into the sit
ting-room, where sat the little COM
pany, to which Mr.. Mason, who had
gloomily returned from an unsuccess-
full search for a deputy sheriff, had
joined himself, Tad tossed the long
lost sachel into the lap of Mr.. Ather-
ton, thereby causing him to drop the
paper he had been perusing upside
down, and, with it, his dignified reserve
to such an extent that he exclaimed:
''Gracious goodness" for which he at
once apologized, as his trembling
fingers applied the little key to the
kep-hole; while Tad, with his politest
bow, presented astonished Mrs. Mason
with her recovered jewelry and the
fur-lined circular.
''The dress was all mud. and St11ddled
that, too" he added, as Mrs Mason,
with an exclamation of delight, re-
ceived her recovered property; while
her husband gazed at smiling Tad in a
dazed sort of way, and whistled softly
TO himself, as one whose feelings were
too deep for adequate expression.
Tad, you're "a jewel!' said Miss
Smith, energetically; and very much
10 Tad's establishment, but to his secret
qualification, the maiden lady i'm
printed sounding kiss upon his blush
ing check, while Captain Flagg shook
bands with him vigorously, with a
child in the way he'd ought to 90,
SOS when he's old he won't go to
strayin' off. Polly said nothing in
words, but rejoicing sparkled in her
eyes, and praise was apparent in her
beaming smiles. With the list in one
hand Mr.. Atherton was rapidly run
ming over the contents of the alligator
skin sachel.
''Gold star pendant, solitaire drops,
diamond ring, bracelet and papers
um-yes, every thing seems to be here"
he said, with look of intense salts
faction, as, dropping the list into the
mouth of the bag, which he carefully
relocked, the dignified gentleman re-
garded the company with something
like affability.
Regarding the matter of-er-re-
ward" continued Mr.. Anterior, draw
ing bulky note-case from his pocket,
and glancing benignantly at Tad. who
stood in awkward silence. wil;.s all